Firstly I want to note that this post may be totally baffling and probably annoying for most of you Steemians because you appear to be more computer and programming savvy than the average Joe or Sue. However, it’s YOU specifically whose attention I want to draw to this blindspot on Steemit.
Initially I thought it was just me and that maybe I'm just clueless, but I now see it's not just me and far from it...
As I understand it, all of us agree that quality content is key to the success of Steemit. This means that Steemit needs to attract people from a variety of fields who have a depth of expertise - people like my friends who are amazingly talented scientists, artists, gallerists, teachers, writers, PR people, psychologists, dog trainers, etc..… However, people like me have spent 80 hours a week developing mastery in ceramics or in another specialized field and have NOT developed expertise within the esoteric aspects of computer programming, cryptocurrency, or even within the stock market/ trading. As all of you know, experts in any field are busy in their own corner of life.
For someone like me to enter the world of Steemit - to gain a very basic understanding of what this thing called Steemit is, create an account, and make a post, the learning curve was prohibitive - it literally took me hours and hours. If I didn’t have a friend encouraging me with constant plugs of how incredible Steemit is, I would have given up after an hour.
It was like learning to get around a foreign country that doesn’t even use the same letters to form its language. I felt like I did when visiting Egypt years ago as an American - I had no idea how to read a shop sign or how to ask a question. Yes I could walk down the street and see that there was a city bus but where it goes and how much to pay were elusive. It was tough to find enough common ground to ask a question and get an answer in some cases. And yes, I used guide books etc..., but just go with my analogy here.
Every time I looked up a word like “blockchain” or “mining” the answer just raised more questions and it took time to find satisfactory answers. Actually I still have no idea what on earth mining really means.
The post that was most helpful for me:
And I believe we need MUCH more of this. Even this assumes I know about Reddit and bitcoin and what a blockchain is and about cryptocurrency - all of which were 100% new words and concepts to me. I’ve felt like an idiot, stupid and clueless in the process of navigating this platform and no one wants to feel that way!!
And what about when one wants to convert Steem Dollars into cash? In the Steemit for dummies guide there is some advice but it was not close to enough to walk me through the process.
White pages (https://steem.io/SteemWhitePaper.pdf) are recommended often but while yes this document is essential to read, it’s not going to help the newbie get his or her foot in the door. It’s far too long and speaks to an understanding of this “blockchain world” that is far beyond what I had or that any of my friends will have upon entering.
My point here is not about venting frustration, it’s about raising the awareness that if we want to bring in people outside of the esoteric world of Steem, we have to make this more accessible, we have to give people the tools for understanding the most basic concepts and then for increasing their knowledge. There is quite a bit on steemit for someone who is beyond the basics, but not for someone like me.
Some of you have plenty of knowledge and are very good at explaining things clearly, and I want to encourage you to create step by step how-to guides, including clear definitions of terms using layman’s vocabulary - no jargon. Pretend that you are talking to your 7 year old who knows how to use a computer really well and social media but now HOW they work. Also assume s/he knows money but not how the stock market works.
Since my initial frustration I’ve been very fortunate to have support from a seasoned steemian who has generously taken the time to clear up some of my confusion, but not everyone will have this and nor should they have to.
A few examples of the confusion one encounters in trying to understand:
When looking up the definition of “blockchain” (and yes there are millions of us out there who are very smart who have NEVER heard of this).
According to Investopedia:
“The blockchain is seen as the main technological innovation of Bitcoin, since it stands as proof of all the transactions on the network. A block is the 'current' part of a blockchain which records some or all of the recent transactions, and once completed goes into the blockchain as permanent database.
Basically mumbojumbo to me!!
Wikipedia offers a much better definition but still a giant mouthful and isn't there a better explanation?
A blockchain[1][2][3]—originally, block chain[4][5]—is a distributed database that maintains a continuously-growing list of data records secured from tampering and revision. It consists of data structure blocks that may contain data or programs—with each block holding batches of individual transactions and the results of any blockchain executables. Each block contains a timestamp and a link to a previous block.
The blockchain—conceived in 2008 and first implemented in 2009—is the main technical innovation of bitcoin, where it serves as the public ledger for bitcoin transactions. In this case, every user is allowed to connect to the network, send new transactions to it, verify transactions, and create new blocks, making the bitcoin blockchain permissionless. The bitcoin/blockchain design has been the inspiration for other applications.
Another word that still remains completely mysterious to me is “mining” . I have yet to find a definition in layman’s terms. All have jargon or vocabulary unique to what I call the “cryptocurrency world”.
https://www.bitcoinmining.com/ offers some really great resources for understanding mining but one has to take 45 minutes just to understand the word and the concept because “mining” on Steemit bears no resemblance of the concept of mining out in the physical world.
In the early 2000s as a minimally computer literate adult, It took me about 20 minutes to understand enough about Facebook to get started and effectively use it. Steemit should be user-friendly within 30-45 minutes if we want to attract a variety of experts outside of the computer world.
We need a play by play guide with lots of definitions and hand-holding. You might ask - “why don’t YOU do it?” A good question and maybe I will but I still feel like I don’t know enough and there are so many of you out there who do know SO MUCH!!
Maybe there are already the kinds of posts I’m talking about and I just didn’t find them. If so, maybe we can all agree on a #hashtag that can be referred to at the top of “white papers” so that new people can find it (?)
Ok, I’ve had my say, thanks for listening and I hope this helps the Steemit community!!
I agree, as a clown performer in the political world, I am not equipped with enough knowledge to create enough steem...maybe one day someone will like my post...
I have literally just joined, today, and I'm having a fun time with this. I appreciate the links you've posted here. Thanks, and good luck!
Check this out by @unonimity https://steemit.com/blockchain/@unonimity/blockchain-for-socially-progressive-dummies
I clicked on this article because I think that I can help you understand something that will illuminate exactly what this system is about. It is a publicly traded, transparent corporation, with an inbuilt communication and marketing system, two different types of tradeable instruments and a long term investment instrument.
https://steemit.com/ascensionteam/@l0k1/steem-is-not-a-blogging-platform-steem-is-an-ad-hoc-public-and-transparent-corporation-let-me-explain
The idea, as I outline in the article above, is that steem is an infrastructure upon which people can build their own enterprises, that make profit, and turn some of the funds around back into Steem, and of that, some is vested, helping secure the stability of the system, as well as providing a benefit in return over time to those who power up thusly.
I am in the early stages of setting up just such a "Department" as I am calling it, which aims to develop a groups system I am calling (for now) SteemHordes, which is basically a blockchain for managing a namespace, sorta like a Steem Department Registry. Anyone can make up a new name, and add members of Steem to its member list. The idea is that this allows specialisation and as a tool for organising a subunit of the Steemosphere, which I am calling a "Department".
In addition to that, my design also includes a blockchain-like messaging system, something along the lines of Bitmessage, that allows members of groups to communicate with each other in realtime, and even potentially privately, using encryption.
Under such a system, you could set up a group for people specalising in your particular area. You can gather qualified individuals as well as perhaps those who are good at administrative processes, and the group leader, the owner of the name, can be the administrator of the central pool of funds that the group uses to fund shared activities. Things like marketing campaigns, building more software or setting up and running websites to promote the activities of the Department.
Steem intentionally does not concern itself with this side of things, and the seeming lack of social networking tools should be a clue, that it's our job, as users, to build these things. Steem is just a financial and marketing backbone that anyone with a good idea and some money, can structure and organise a business. I believe that once my system is up and running, it will massively boost the performance of the whole of the Steemosphere, by allowing it to manage small units of organisation, using Steem to invest, fund and manage their organisation, which really will be a subunit of the Steem system itself.
Thanks for the link, the explanations and sharing your ideas @l0k1, really appreciate it!
Can I answer a question about having from steem to cash?
It's fairly simple, it takes more time than explaining itself, but it's good to have patience for it.
You have an easy path and then an harder decision.
Easy path, create an account on Bittrex.com and deposit your steem/dollars there accordinly to your deposit info you have on bittrex, for example, the base sender is bittrex but the memo code is specific for your account, which is different between steem and steemdollars. Just click on deposit on bittrex and it will tell you what's the "secret" code.
After that, from your wallet, you click SBD or STEEM, that depends on what you deposited, and convert them in BTC selling for ALL and then as amount for selling you put bid, and then sell, and the easy step is done.
Then, what you do is fairly harder, you need to find someone who will "dare" to change your BTC in money.
Depending on what you choose, you will first have to register to one of those 2 and withdraw your bitcoins to the address those sites will provide.
Good, you have a couple good options I know.
One is virwox, the other is localbitcoin
The first one steals a lot on fees since you have to convert your money in SLL(SecondLife Dollars- a currency of a virtual 3d game) and then to usd/eur. If you want your money to PayPal or Skrill or anything else and you want them fast, you can do that way.
The other way is localbitcoin, where you register, you send your ID to prove it's you, then you deposit those money on there when you have been authorized as being officially a localbitcoin member.
Now, what you have to do is create or search for a good deal for your BTC. You go for: I want to sell, then you search for a currency or a provider such paypal or anything you like. After choosing or finding a deal, you check the bounds of the sell, let's say the guy who's buying btc has a limit of 200 dollars and you have 100 dollars, it's perfect. You put the amount in the page where it says "I want to sell x BTC" ad it gives you the corrispective value, then you go for it, and wait for the buyer. You will land on a chat page where you and the buyer will trade. Example, you picked as a service paypal, you tell him the address to where deposit the money, and when you received them, you unleash your btc to him, easy :)
Well done, you have traded your steem for cash!
I should make an article about it.
thank you @wisehammer!
You are welcome
Sue everyone who did not point you to this Realistic Integration Crash Course For Social Network Migrants To Steemit.com :)
(It is addressed at those who are here for the community, not the money, and only treats these peculiarities in passing. For example, it has a layman-friendly 5-minute explanation video of how the bitcoin blockchain works to give a feeling for what the thinking behind it all is).
You are completely right, though. The learning curve is incredible, and as soon as you think you grasp a concept, the rules are overturned. And I agree, sometimes Wikipedia articles are hilarious: written by the pros for the pros, without any semblance to concepts understandable to educated people with common sense who have not been part of cryptospace for years. WP articles on math are like that and articles on cryptography are like that, articles on physics are different, they give simple real-world examples and applications.
I know about your feeling, actually I am not a native speaker and my first language is not English. I do not know much about programming or computer literate , it is took long time for know about steemit (probably 0ne month). Language barrier is first challenge and second barrier is lack of programming and computer knowledge. Any way I glad you expose this article. :)
I have noticed the challenge with the existing material. The early adopters are blockchain savy and therefore the material was alright for them. But now like myself more so called "main stream" users have joined. Therefore I have created some visual help guides myself for which I received some very good feedback. @steempowerwhale
https://steemit.com/howto/@steempowerwhale/how-to-add-my-own-image-in-a-post-quick-help-guide-for-noobs
https://steemit.com/steem-help/@steempowerwhale/how-to-comment-on-posts-and-make-money-immediately-quick-and-easy-help-for-noobs
I am on steemit because I have a mission:
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@steempowerwhale/i-am-steempowerwhale-and-i-am-here-to-upvote-your-lifetime-dreams
thanks @steempowerwhale, I'll take a look at your info posts
If you want to help, as you go through this learning curve, jot down notes about what frustrates you, and after you learn it, how it could have better been presented. That is the feedback that will greatly help.
To be fair, open, and honest.. We have plenty of people that say what's wrong. Very few can offer a suggestion that totally makes people "yes! That's a great idea! Let's incorporate it."
We have tons of critics, and very few ideas unfortunately. :) I'm not suggesting your a critic, because you do want to help. We just need more really good ideas.
There are also "technical" restraints that make things cumbersome so spammers, hackers, and botnets don't destroy the network. So we have those hurdles that make this seem more complicated than it should.
very good idea, I will do this because I am well aware that once you know, you forget what it was like not to know! And yes, I hate to be a critic and was hoping to encourage experts to write, but I suppose it just sounds like criticism. Thanks for your note.
Also, I want to note that people ARE writing tons about Steemit, but just not for the super novice. I thought maybe they don't realize what makes it hard for the newbies. Anyway, your point is taken.
To summarize the white paper is about steem not the website steemit. I think the word "ledger" describe best what the blockchain is. A nice guide on blockchain and application is that pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492972/gs-16-1-distributed-ledger-technology.pdf
thanks @jyezie, i'll take a look